Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Sandnessjøen, Norway:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka (SSJ), Sandnessjøen, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,181 miles (or 6,728 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Eareckson Air Station and Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Eareckson Air Station and Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• Eareckson Air Station is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
• The station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• The closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.
• Because of Eareckson Air Station's relatively low elevation of 97 feet, planes can take off or land at Eareckson Air Station at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• The furthest airport from Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,668 miles (17,168 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• Eareckson Air Station is located on the western tip of Alaska's Aleutian islands near the larger island of Attu, and is located approximately 1500 miles southwest of Anchorage.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka (SSJ):

• The first air route along the coast of western Norway between Bergen and Tromsø started June 7, 1935 with three weekly departures and stop overs in Ålesund, Molde, Kristiansund, Trondheim, Brønnøysund, Sandnessjøen, Bodø, Narvik and Harstad.
• Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka is a regional airport serving the town of Sandnessjøen, Norway.
• Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka (SSJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka (SSJ) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,870 miles (17,493 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka", another name for SSJ is "Sandnessjøen Lufthavn, Stokka".
• The closest airport to Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka (SSJ) is Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad (MJF), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) ESE of SSJ.
• Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka handled 75,096 passengers last year.
• Since the float planes could only be operated during daylight and in good weather, a more stable air transport solution was deemed necessary as the volume of traffic steadily grew.
• Because of Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka's relatively low elevation of 56 feet, planes can take off or land at Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.